Brian Kennedy
Design Portfolio 2014
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Brian’s design process
Research & observation
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Identify needs & insights
Design direction & ideation
Create design iterations as needed
Concept prototyping
User testing & analysis
Delivering results
...however, process should never prevent flexibility. 3
Moti A new wearable interaction that allows for the exchange of subtle emotional cues for partners in long-distance relationships.
Brian Kennedy 5 months, 2014 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 4
Ren & Cassie live over 10,000km apart...
Tokyo, Japan
Ren is a recent college graduate. He works M-S from 8am to 6pm.
Chicago, Illinois
Cassie is a university student. She keeps a busy, inconsistent schedule
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60%
of respondents said they dealt with a difference in time zones [Time differences] limit communication times, but lines up some key moment of free time.
If he has to work the whole afternoon, we aren’t able to talk. By the time he comes home from work, I’m already in bed. We would both get frustrated and it put a strain on the time we were actually talking to each other. Sometimes we just miss speaking to each other because the other went to bed just as the other woke up.
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*In a survey of 100 LDR participants
Concept Selection With wearables as the forefront of technology, how can we use them to change the way that we communicate with one another?
Wearable bracelet that allows for communication of mood and feeling through light & color.
Emotion is a prime opportunity, since communicating emotion through mediums like text has proved challenging. 7
Current product-scape
Meaningful
Intimacy through technology
Target Solution
In-convenient
Practical
There is opportunity for a practical, device that can help build intimacy over distance.
Gimmicky 8
10 “interactive� prototypes were made for user testing
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Introducing Moti...
Smartwatch for communicating emotion & presence over distance
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Hardware interactions Moti watch face doubles as the main hardware button.
The color ring is a capacitative touch wheel.
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Fully customizable moods & colors Neutral
Longing
Irritated
Sad
Enthusiastic
Calm
Colors were chosen based on user feedback and psychological research. They can be customized by either parter at any time. 12
Interaction: Sending cues Quickly and easily send emotional cues to your long-distance partner.
Home State
Shows your time, partner’s mood
Single tap display
Select mood cues to send
Multi-directional gesture
Mood cue sent, return to Home
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Japan Tokyo Time (UTC +9)
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United States Central Time (UTC -5)
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Immerse A bathroom of the future project targeting bathroom relaxation with a focus on rapid product ideation & development.
Brian Kennedy, Ani Lagos, Collin Akkeman, Amanda Tiberi 1 Week, 2013 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 16
What makes a bathroom relaxing?
Environment
Aroma
Cleanliness
Solitude
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Ideation process
Beginning with 12 total concepts, brainstormed in 1 hour time frame, we each pitched 3 concepts that were eliminated by voting rounds of our peers based on feasibility.
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Fragrant breeze fan
Scenic projections
Aqua lighting
Meditation timer
Saltwater float tub
Privacy curtain
Relaxation fountain
Backlit sink handles
LED mood candles
Glowing temp orb
Bathtub mister
Bath salt infuser
Voting rounds
Ideation
Sketch Modeling
Project Focus
Relaxation Fountain
Gentle Breeze Fan
LED Mood Candles
Bath Salt Infuser
Concepts were developed throughout the process, until the bath salt infuser was chosen. 19
Empathic modeling was an important step to identify pain points...
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A soak requires 1/3 cup of salts minimum
Findings: 1) Salt dissolves best when the water is the hottest. 2) It takes more salt than anticipated for the benefits to take effect. 3) The salts take time to dissolve in the water. Getting in too early results in salts not dissolving entirely.
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Benefits of using bath salts regularly include...
Reduced stress
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Improved circulation
Reduced tenderness
Soothed irritations
We set out to create a solution that could be enjoyable for users of all ages.
2-5 yrs
20-45 yrs
55+ yrs
Playtime & bubblebath sessions for kids
Relieving mom’s stress after a hectic workday
Soaks to reduce swelling due to an aging body
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Concept testing scenario
Testing proved that the enough salt could be dissolved by the running facet. Once this was confirmed, we did some quick ideation. What is the best system of delivery? We settled on a “open� concept that would still feel complete even if no bath salts were being used. A small mesh sachet should be filled with salts and placed in the mouth of the facet. 24
Continued ideation...
The infuser was switched from a cup style infuser to a small sachet to avoid a disposable feeling.
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Immerse
Bathroom fixture for a relaxing lifestyle 26
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Curry Companion Product design targeting the high end food storage market in India. An exercise in designing for culture and connectivity.
Collaboration with World Kitchen Asia Pacific
Brian Kennedy, Loh Min Hwe 5 months, 2012 National University of Singapore
Eating with the hand is a common experience across India
Bite-sized portions
Flowing movements
Gentle gestures
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Meet Bharti “I eat with my hand at work. It’s about tradition, but it also feels more natural.”
Bharti is a professional but even in the workplace she wants to be able to eat her food in a familiar and comfortable manner.
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Identifying user, task, & environment Eating with the hand
Middle Class Indians
For meals away from home
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Two different eating experiences Tiffin Lunch Carrier A commonly used meal container in India, often contains rice, curry, dal, and chapatis (spicy meats).
Affordable, durable material
Stackable, secure food compartments
Handle may limit convenience May leak liquids & sauces Heat retention is poor, difficult to reheat
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Banana Leaf A natural eating utensil, used for special eating occasions, emphasizes eating with the hand.
Large, flexible, waterproof Food is easily accessible Used to help cook & flavor food Cannot store or carry food Cannot be reused
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Current product-scape
High End
Current products on the market only partially meet the needs of the Indian consumer.
Kitsch
Elegant
Glass and ceramics represent the bulk of premium kitchenware Tupperware and Lock & Lock are prominent storage container brands Proliferation of plastic kitchenware and storage in the lower-range
Low End
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What if we could combine the elegance of the banana leaf with the usefulness of the tiffin?
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Round 1 - Concept generation
Round 2 - Concept refinement
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Design challenges included wall height, effective food separation, and material flexibility.
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Testing insight: increase reliability
Design is functional, but appears untrustworthy.
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Wall fold mechanism redesigned to improve stability. Promotes confidence.
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Curry Companion expands to create a larger eating surface... 1
2
4
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3
5
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